Beating Trich Community Group
You mean that there is a name for IT? Im not weird? Trichotillomania, that big, long word that is the bane of our world. With knowledge and support of others we CAN break free and live without this disorder interfering with our lives. Lets keep this uplifting and supportive and give each other the encouragement the other needs to make it to that next day.
Hi, My name is Sam and I'm new to this group. I am 23 and have had trich since I was 12. Over the years I have tried many times to stop, however it's only this past year that I have started to research ways of stopping, and have been really determined to do it. I plan on doing so with a combination of understanding, will-power, exercise, trying the John Kender diet, and seeing a therapist. I love designing, illustrating, cooking, extreme sports, exercising, seeing live music and reading. I would love to provide others with encouragement, and maybe get some support when I fall.
Two days pull free.
Two days pull free.
Chill out slut!
Maybe I will say this to myself next time I am pulling out hair and feeling anxious.
Usually I tell myself, "bitch be cool!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMV_r4LjQIo
Although I don't think my counselor would approve of that kind of self-talk : / Ha ha!
Hope you are feeling less stressed and sending you pull free vibes! : )
Oh, and hugs!
Went to a party type thing tonight and chilled out. Was great. Then pulled 4 juicy hair specifically to get the root when I got home (just previously, it's 1:30am).
Tomorrow's a new day.
Gosh it just SUCKS that pulling just feels so good. And is so satisfying. And nothing about that will ever change.
Bitch be cool. I've been thinking. On one hand I'm trying to be accepting of the fact I get urges to pull my hair and the results of that, but on the other hand I'm happier when I'm pull free and pull free doesn't happen by being believing it's ok to pull. Oof.
- I get urges to pull my hair, and that pulling feels good and is satisfying. I shouldn't underestimate how powerful that is.
- sometimes the urges are greater, sometimes they're lesser.
- sometimes it feels easy to resist urges and other times it feels hard. Sometimes I know I can resist yet don't care about resisting.
- being pull free for any period makes me feel happy, obviously the longer the better.
- regrowth makes me feel happier yet and normal looking hair makes me very happy.
- losing hair that I spent months regrowing makes me unhappy.
- its possible to achieve a long pull free period.
- it's possible to have normal looking hair, but its more likely to have patches.
- I am not my hair
- but I do care what my hair looks like, a lot.
- spending large amounts of time thinking about my hair does not make me happy.
- but I often will spend large amounts of time thinking about my hair.
Fun! Haha. Oh well. It's nice to be a part of a group that understands :)
Great things to try to accept, and all very true.
"- spending large amounts of time thinking about my hair does not make me happy."
That's what happened to me last night, I went into a hate-spiral of despair over how ugly my hair looks. But after point I was just like, well, I just have to stop thinking about my hair, tie it up in a bun, and then go about my way. A couple of years ago I would literally spent hours in front of a mirror taking photos of my bald patches from different angles, just obsessing. I try not to that now because like you said it just doesn't make me happy.
I think what makes it so painful is knowing that you did it to yourself? I hate feeling so weak and powerless and out of control when it comes to these urges! But I guess part of the battle is trying to build up that strength again, so that you know you DO have the power to resist an urge to pull..... Even though --
"- sometimes it feels easy to resist urges and other times it feels hard. Sometimes I know I can resist yet don't care about resisting."
Booya, oof, yes. The fact that we do it to ourselves is the worst thing. The common thought that we can stop at any time is so destructive: "I can't believe I did this to myself. If I stop NOW it'll grow back soon, and I'll never pull again!" I think a lot of people think this way. It's so hard to accept that while yes, we did this to ourselves, no, it was not by choice, because we didnt choose to have trich. But accepting that it's not our fault then undermines the statement "I don't HAVE to pull". Somehow I think they can exist side by side.
Aaaanyway. I was pull free yesterday.
Great job on your pull free day!!!
4 juicy ones..... Just seeing those words made me tingle all over... And this signals to me that it isn't right... To have such a visceral response to those words, to identify and understand completely. It is really quite fascinating that we have such a common experience, but we are a relatively small group. Yes, pulling makes us feel better, yes it feels good. But it isn't good. It is destructive behavior. It isn't what we are meant to do. It is a disorder. Not to stigmatize us, but we really need to strive to stop.
I just know that when I am pulling, I don't feel good about myself. I feel like I am failing, giving in. I don't mean to make you or anyone else feel bad for pulling. The journey is different for everyone. No judgements. You do what you can, and you just keep trying.
Keep trying. Every day that you are trying, you are saving many more hairs than if you weren't trying. You can do this, C.
You know I don't think that we are that small a group! Some sites say up to 5 percent oftge population has trich. That's a lot of people.
I guess you're right that it's destructive behaviour, as it affects our mental health. I really need your voice Phoebe! Your support and advice really helps me so much.
I pulled one hair today. It's 8:44pm and I know I can make it the rest of the night. Feeling a lot of motivation at the moment because my hair looks like crap.